René Magritte: Les amants…

The reason this painting came to mind is due to my photography, after looking at it, it reminded me of this painting I felt that the cloth over my models head added similarities between Magritte’s piece and my photography.

The painting is of two lovers enthralled by passion, but the inclusion of the fabric over their heads acts as a barrier between them, makes an act of passion into one of isolation and frustration, just how the fabric over the models head adds a barrier between her and the viewer meaning they can look into this “world” but they have no immediate access or contact to it.

“Some have interpreted his work as a depiction of the inability to fully unveil the true nature of even our most intimate companions.”

Others find connections between his paintings and his mother’s death, “The artist was 14 when his mother committed suicide by drowning. He witnessed her body being fished from the water, her wet nightgown wrapped around her face.”

I love how something that appears to be so beautiful and loving actually has a very dark, raw backstory, his paintings have a sense of mystery and this is something I definitely wanted to have in my exhibition, I wanted people to question everything, I wanted them to have a strong emotional reaction to my piece and to really think about things.